Improvement in letter-sheets



L. H; ROGERS.-

Letter-Sheet.

No. 202,589.. Patented April 6,1878.

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Witnesses:

N- PETERS, PHOTO-LITNOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE,

L EBBEUs H. ROGERS, OF NEW YORK, NY.

IMPROVEMENT IN LETTER-SHEETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,589, dated April 16,1878; application filed January 28, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEBBEUS H. ROGERS, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Scalable or Sealing Letteror Note Sheets, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

Letter or note sheets having, as a means of sealing the same when folded, a gummed border as an extension of, but separated from, said letter or note sheet by a line of perforations, in order to allow the same when sealed to be readily torn 01f, leaving a letter or note sheet of suitable form for future reference, have been invented and used before. As thus broadly stated, the invention is believed to be that of Charles Foster, and secured to him by Letters Patent dated the 6th day of February, 1872, No. 123,389.

I have conceived an improvement on this mode of constructing; scalable or sealing note or letter sheets, whereby important advantages are derived in point of economy in paper,

gum, and machinery in the manufacture of the same, as well as, and mainly, in point of convenience and dispatch in the use of the same, and in the adaptability of the invention to sheets of various sizes, for which the mode of construction devised, shown, and described by said Foster is ill. adapted; and my invention consists in the construction of a letter or note sheet adapted to be folded three times, with sectional sealing-borders arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the letter-sheet, and so that when the sheet is folded said sealing-flaps shall come opposite to each other, and constitute an extension or continuation of the outside of the folded sheet along the whole width or length, or both, of said folded sheet, substantially as shown and described; second, in the combination with a sealin g letter or note sheet, constructed and arranged for operation, as before stated, of a line or lines of perforations between the sealing-borders and the letter or note sheet proper; third, in the application of gum or othermucilaginous compound onto one of the sealing-borders, arranged in opposite pairs upon or in connection with letter or note sheets constructed and arranged as stated under the first head of the statement of invention fourth, in a letter-sheet constructed and arranged for operation as stated under the first statement of invention,

' the second head of the statement of invention,

and gummed, as stated under the third head of the statement of invention.

To enable others to make and use my said invention, I shall now proceed to describe the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which represents an elevation of a letter-sheet embodying the principle of my invention.

I have shown my invention applied to a let: ter-sheet. This is intended to be folded on three lines, as x,- y y, and z 2. It may be folded first either on line 3/ and then on line 2, or, vice versa, first on line 2 and then on line 3 The thus-folded triple sheet is then folded across on lines, which brings the opposite sealingborders a and I) together, and the latter, having been previously moistened, will seal the letter.

It will be observed that the sealing-border occupies about one-third of the width of the sheet. I prefer to slightly exceed the length of the sealing-border or width of the middle. fold, in order that one of the outer folds may be snugly tucked in without crimping. It is hardly necessary to say that the sheet, instead of being folded twice longitudinally, may be folded twice transversely, in which case the opposite sealing-borders will be on the middle fold on the opposite side of the sheet, and the third fold in the middle, dividing the sheet longitudinally.

Among the many advantages which I attain by my improvement, and which renders this invention particularly adapted and applicable to business now necessarily conducted by open correspondence on postal cards, are these: The sealing may be effected with but little moisture applied to a comparatively small fraction of the sealing-border, and, as that is generally accomplished with the tongue, it is not exhaustive of the saliva, which has been found to be a great inconvenience in the letter-sheet made according to Charles Fosters plan.

The receiver of the sealed note is enabled to open the letter by tearing ofi the sealingborder on one side, whereas, according to the Foster plan, the envelope has to be turned and handled in order to remove the sealingflap on the three sides thereof. In the Foster device the sheet is necessarily small, because a sealing-border around a large sheet would be impracticable, and the sealed letter would be too large and clumsy for the purposes for which it is intended. By my invention I am enabled to use large sheets.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The letter-sheet adapted to be folded three times, with sectional sealing-borders arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the lettersheet, and so that when the sheet is folded said sealing-flaps shall come opposite to each other, and constitute an extension or continuation-of the outside of the folded sheet along the whole width or length of said foldedsheet, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a sealing lettersheet, constructed and arranged for operation as before stated, of a line or lines of perforations between the sealing-borders and the letter-sheet proper, substantially as herein shown and set forth.

3. A letter-sheet having, as described, upon opposite sides sealing-flaps, either or both of which are gummed, as set forth.

4. A lettersheetconstructed and arranged 'for operation as stated, having sealing-borders which are separated from the letter-sheet by perforations, and gummed, as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEBBE'US H. ROGERS.

Witnesses:

M. M. BUDLONG, J 0s. 1. OSBORNE. 

